An Afternoon of Football, Food & Fun: Florham Park Community Welcomes the Jets
It was an afternoon of football, food and fun for thousands of enthusiastic kids and community members of all ages who gathered at the Florham Park Borough Hall yesterday to welcome the Jets to their neighborhood.
The afternoon kicked off with the Florham Park cheerleaders chanting J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets! Florham Park Mayor Frank Tinari then proclaimed it "Jets Day" and presented New York Jets Owner Woody Johnson with a green and white proclamation. Johnson offered Tinari his very own football jersey after which the 2006 Jets rookie class was introduced to the cheering crowd.
"On behalf of all of us at the Jets, I want to thank you for already making us feel so welcome in your community," said New York Jets Owner Woody Johnson to the crowd. "We are heartened by your genuine interest to make us your neighbors and we are truly excited to call Florham Park our new home."
After the brief program, kids enjoyed the inflatable rides, prizes and giveaways while receiving autographs from more than twenty of this year's rookie players including top picks D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold and Kelly Clemens. Former Jet Wayne Chrebet was also on hand to greet the community and sign autographs.
On March 31, 2006, the New York Jets announced that they will relocate their headquarters and practice facility to a former Exxon Headquarters near Park Avenue in Florham Park, New Jersey. As part of this historic agreement, the Jets and the NJSEA will also dedicate an annual $50,000 fund to improve recreational fields in Florham Park.
The announcement concluded a six month search during which time more than forty sites were considered as the Jets potential new home.
As the new home of the Jets, the practice facility will house all football operations and most corporate functions including an 110,000 square foot building housing 100 employees, three outdoor football fields, and one indoor football field. Relocating the practice facility from Long Island to New Jersey will generate local jobs and more than $10 million annually in new tax revenue for the state.
In addition to the new state and local tax revenues generated by the practice facility, the Jets are committed to community involvement. Beyond partnering with the NJSEA to dedicate an annual fund of $50,000 to improve recreational fields in Florham Park, the Jets will continue to support numerous civic charities as well as established Jets initiatives to fight hunger and improve education and fitness for children throughout the tri-state area. The Jets also support local football teams with coaching and kids clinics, local Coach of the Week Awards and free community access to training camp during the summer months.
